Oct 6 Hummus Crudité Platter

Hummus is basically the reason behind me becoming vegan. There was this one hummus stand at my neighbourhood market in Amsterdam where I would go almost daily to get the best hummus there is (it's called the Gouden Tent - look it up when you are there!). And I'd eat it, non-stop, until I ran out and had to get some more. They had so many different flavours that I never got tired.

It was also the middle of summer and I really wasn't craving any meat or dairy (I had swapped dairy out a while before already and meat was never really my thing). I was just living on a fresh veggie and hummus diet, all from the market, so colourful and delishhh. And before I knew it, I had been vegan for a couple of weeks. It was actually one of my friends who pointed this out - I was just eating what I felt like. Needless to say, eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables (and hummus) is so utterly good for your and makes you feel invincible so that's what I stuck to. 4 years later I'm feeling better than ever.

Now, getting back to this hummus platter right here, this is where it all began for me. This abundant platter of goodies that would make you feel oh so good inside. I love combining what ever is in season at the moment with two of my favourite hummuses - plain old & a raw beetroot one. As with anything, feel free to swap the beetroot for something else, like sun-dried tomatoes (faaave), roasted radishes (also a fave) and kale (also a fave, I have a lot of faves). This platter will wow anyone you serve it to - whether it's just you with a glass of wine on a Sunday evening (me tonight while the boi is out of town) or your squad or your fam (sry for all the slang people). Errrrybody will love it.

Ingredients

4 tbsp tahini

4 tbsp good extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

juice from 1/2 lemon + more if needed

1 tsp pink himalayan salt

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

2 cans of chickpeas

1 small beet, peeled and roughly chopped

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

large handful of fresh coriander/parsley

water or chickpea liquid, enough to blend

1-2 tbsp of dukkah, to serve

extras:

a range of vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, radishes

crackers

fruit and berries, such as grapes, blueberries and strawberries

nuts

dark chocolate

Method

Combine the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, spices and fresh coriander/parsley in a blender and blend to combine. Add the chickpeas a little bit at a time, adding water or chickpea liquid when needed. When the hummus is smooth, taste it and adjust seasoning, then take half of it out and place in a serving bowl. Add the chopped beetroot and smoked paprika to the remaining half and blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl and garnish with dukkah, good olive oil and coriander/parsley.